Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Single centre analysis of perioperative complications in trans-oral robotic surgery for oropharyngeal carcinomas

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Trans Oral Robotic Surgery (TORS) is a modality in the management of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma(OPSCC). This study was conducted to show the rates of peri-operative complications after TORS for OPSCC in our experience. Single centre retrospective analysis of consecutive OPSCC treated with TORS. The surgical complication severity was recorded according to Clavien-Dindo criteria (CDC). Eighty-seven OPSCC were operated with TORS. According to CDC, grade I, grade II and IIIb were registered in 8%, 4.6% and 11.5% of cases, respectively. The postoperative pain, registered with visual-analogue scale (VAS) score, was 8 ± 1.2 for the secondary healing wounds and 6.2 ± 1.5 for the flap reconstructions (p < 0.01). The impact on swallowing function was not significant between secondary healing and flap reconstructions(p = 0.96). Any major or life-threatening intraoperative complications have not been recorded. Only one patient had postoperative bleeding into the neck whilst 13.3% of patients had postoperative bleeding from the primary tumor. No total local or free flap failure were registered. The mean duration of tracheostomy use was 7.4 ± 2.6 days, and nasogastric tube 14.3 ± 6.9 days. Only one patient, who had also reconstruction with flap, experienced a postoperative severe dysphagia with severe aspiration, needing a permanent tracheostomy tube and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy feeding. TORS for OPSCC showed less morbidity, lower risk of severe complication and mortality. Thus, this treatment modality could be offered as first line treatment in selected cases.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Meccariello G, Cammaroto G, Iannella G, De Vito A, Ciorba A, Bianchini C et al (2022) Transoral robotic surgery for oropharyngeal cancer in the era of chemoradiation therapy. Auris Nasus Larynx 49:535–546

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Gal TJ, Slezak JA, Kejner AE, Chen Q, Huang B (2019) Treatment trends in oropharyngeal carcinoma: surgical technology meets the epidemic. Oral Oncol 97:62–68

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  3. Chillakuru Y, Benito DA, Strum D, Mehta V, Saini P, Shim T et al (2021) Transoral robotic surgery versus nonrobotic resection of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Head Neck 43:2259–2273

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Lee SY, Park YM, Byeon HK, Choi EC, Kim SH (2014) Comparison of oncologic and functional outcomes after transoral robotic lateral oropharyngectomy versus conventional surgery for T1 to T3 tonsillar cancer. Head Neck 36:1138–1145

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Ford SE, Brandwein-Gensler M, Carroll WR, Rosenthal EL, Magnuson JS (2014) Transoral robotic versus open surgical approaches to oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma by human papillomavirus status. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 151:606–611

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Zevallos JP, Mitra N, Swisher-McClure S (2016) Patterns of care and perioperative outcomes in transoral endoscopic surgery for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Head Neck 38:402–409

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Stokes W, Ramadan J, Lawson G, Ferris FRL, Holsinger FC, Turner MT (2021) Bleeding complications after transoral robotic surgery: a meta-analysis and systematic review. Laryngoscope 131:95–105

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Chia SH, Gross ND, Richmon JD (2013) Surgeon experience and complications with Transoral Robotic Surgery (TORS). Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 149:885–892

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. de Almeida JR, Byrd JK, Wu R, Stucken CL, Duvvuri U, Goldstein DP et al (2014) A systematic review of transoral robotic surgery and radiotherapy for early oropharynx cancer: a systematic review. Laryngoscope 124:2096–2102

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Hutcheson KA, Warneke CL, Yao CMKL, Zaveri J, Elgohari BE, Goepfert R et al (2019) Dysphagia after primary transoral robotic surgery with neck dissection vs nonsurgical therapy in patients with low- to intermediate-risk oropharyngeal cancer. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 145:1053–1063

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  11. Helman SN, Schwedhelm T, Kadakia S, Wang Y, Schiff BA, Smith RV (2015) Transoral robotic surgery in oropharyngeal carcinoma. Arch Pathol Lab Med 139:1389–1397

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Dzięgielewski PT, Teknos TN, Durmus K et al (2013) Transoral robotic surgery for oropharyngeal cancer: long-term quality of life and functional outcomes. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 139:1099–1108

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  13. Chen MM, Roman SA, Kraus DH, Sosa JA, Judson BL (2014) Transoral robotic surgery: a population-level analysis. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 150:968–975

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Albergotti WG, Jordan J, Anthony K, Abberbock S, Wasserman-Wincko T, Kim S et al (2017) A prospective evaluation of short-term dysphagia after transoral robotic surgery for squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx. Cancer 123:3132–3140

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Meccariello G, Bianchi G, Calpona S, Parisi E, Cammaroto G, Iannella G et al (2020) Trans oral robotic surgery versus definitive chemoradiotherapy for oropharyngeal cancer: 10-year institutional experience. Oral Oncol 110:10488monnie

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Sgarzani R, Meccariello G, Montevecchi F, Gessaroli M, Melandri D, Vicini C (2020) Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: Healing by secondary intention, local flap or free flap. Eur J Plast Surg 43:123–128

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Monnier Y, Simon C (2015) Surgery versus radiotherapy for early oropharyngeal tumors: a never-ending debate. Curr Treat Options Oncol 16:42

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Vicini C, Montevecchi F, D’Agostino G, Vito DE, A, Meccariello G. (2015) A novel approach emphasising intra-operative superficial margin enhancement of head-neck tumours with narrow-band imaging in transoral robotic surgery. Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital 35:157–161

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  19. Dindo D, Demartines N, Clavien PA (2004) Classification of surgical complications: a new proposal with evaluation in a cohort of 6336 patients and results of a survey. Ann Surg 240:205–213

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  20. Meccariello G, Maniaci A, Bianchi G, Cammaroto G, Iannella G, Catalano A, Sgarzani R, De Vito A, Capaccio P, Pelucchi S, Vicini C (2022) Neck dissection and trans oral robotic surgery for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Auris Nasus Larynx 49:117–125

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Laccourreye O, Malinvaud D, Garcia D, Ménard M, Hans S, Cauchois R et al (2015) Postoperative hemorrhage after transoral oropharyngectomy for cancer of the lateral oropharynx. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 124:361–367

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. White H, Ford S, Bush B, Holsinger FC, Moore E, Ghanem T et al (2013) Salvage surgery for recurrent cancers of the oropharynx: comparing TORS with standard open surgical approaches. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 139:773–778

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Weinstein GS, O’Malley BW Jr, Snyder W, Sherman E, Quon H (2007) Transoral robotic surgery: radical tonsillectomy. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 133:1220–1226

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Rinaldi V, Pagani D, Torretta S, Pignataro L (2013) Transoral robotic surgery in the management of head and neck tumours. Ecancermedicalscience 7:359

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  25. More YI, Tsue TT, Girod DA, Harbison J, Sykes KJ, Williams C et al (2013) Functional swallowing outcomes following transoral robotic surgery vs primary chemoradiotherapy in patients with advanced-stage oropharynx and supraglottis cancers. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 139:43–48

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose. All authors certify that they have no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest or non-financial interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript. The authors have no financial or proprietary interests in any material discussed in this article.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Contributions

Conception and design:G.M., C.V. Analysis and interpretation of data: A.C., E.C., F.M., G.C., Drafting of the manuscript: A.C., G.I., R.S., V.C. Revising it for important intellectual content: M.G., A.D.V., P.C. Final approval of the version to be published: P.C., A.C., C.B., C.V.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Giuseppe Meccariello.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors have no competing interests to declare that are relevant to the content of this article.

Ethical approval

The ethics approval or informed consent is not mandatory dute the retrospecitive nature of the study.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Cannavicci, A., Cioccoloni, E., Moretti, F. et al. Single centre analysis of perioperative complications in trans-oral robotic surgery for oropharyngeal carcinomas. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 75, 842–847 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12070-023-03518-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12070-023-03518-6

Keywords

Navigation